One of England's most successful - and business-focused - head teachers has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Keven Satchwell, head of Thomas Telford School in Shropshire, said he was "extremely humbled" by the award.

"Chaps like me, who come from a working class background, one of seven kids - my mum still lives in a council house in Wednesbury - you just don't think things like this are ever going to happen to you," he said.

Sir Kevin spent 15 years teaching in Liverpool and four as a head teacher in Wolverhampton. But it is his stewardship of Thomas Telford over the past 10 years that has put him in the spotlight.

Money-spinner

The technology college last year became the first non-selective state school in which all the GCSE/GNVQ candidates got top grades.

This year it has been in the headlines again because of its success in selling its online information technology course to other schools - bringing in so much money it can afford to put £1m into the formation of one of the new city academies.

Sir Kevin can see that this might find favour with a Labour government committed to raising standards in secondary schools and encouraging innovation and enterprise, but he regards himself as simply a pragmatist.

"If something comes in from this government or the previous one that I don't agree with it goes into that round filing cabinet under the table," he said.

But he thinks the next 10 years is going to be "a very exciting time in education".

"I think there are going to be lots more Thomas Telfords around."

Sir Kevin Satchwell will be taking part in a BBC News Online Forum at 1430BST on Wednesday 20 June. Click here to quiz him about his success and his thoughts on the future of secondary education.

The man who put £2m into the establishment of another city technology college - Emmanuel College in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear - is also knighted.

Peter Vardy, chairman of Reg Vardy Motors, was one of those consulted by government advisors before the city academies scheme was announced last year.

Controversial figure

Knighthoods also go to two university vice-chancellors.

Professor George Bain of The Queen's University, Belfast, was appointed in 1997 to chair the Low Pay Commission and was involved in the establishment of the first national minimum wage.

When he arrived at Queen's, he began a controversial restructuring which demanded that all academic staff prove themselves in research, or lose their jobs.

Initially 100 staff members were threatened with redundancy and a number of departments were earmarked for closure. He said it was the way to improve standards of research and teaching.

Behaviour modeller

Professor Alan Geoffrey Wilson became vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds in 1991.

Professor Sir Alan Wilson: Human touch

He is one of those who have transformed human geography through the development and application of computer models to predict human behaviour.

These models have been used by such diverse organisations as supermarkets, banks, hospitals and car dealers, for example by providing advice on prime locations and what to stock to achieve maximum sales. This work has been exploited commercially by Leeds through its spin-off company, GMAP.

On becoming Sir Alan for his services to higher education, he said: "I am very surprised, very pleased and hope it reflects well on the university."

The architect of the national numeracy strategy in primary schools, Anita Straker, is made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Special head teachers

Wendy Davies, head teacher of Selly Park Technology College for Girls in Birmingham, is made a Dame of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to education.

When she took on the headship at Selly Park in 1986 the school was down for closure, but now it is thriving - 62% of pupils get five GCSEs grades A* to C, compared to just 5% in 1989.

The school serves girls aged 11 to 16 from a "disadvantaged" area - half are eligible for free school meals, more than 80% are from ethnic minority groups and 60% do not speak English as their first language at home.

She puts the improvement of the school down to getting to grips with information and communication technology, employing the right teachers and doing a lot of one-to-one work with pupils.

On Saturday mornings she and her two deputies give extra tuition to Year 11 pupils as they prepare for their GCSEs.

Dame Wendy said she was delighted with the award, saying it was recognition of where Selly Park had come from and where it was now.

"But we've all worked together, so it's not really for me but for the staff, governors, pupils and parents too," she stressed.

'Stunned'

The other DBE in education goes to another head teacher, Dela Smith of Beaumont Hill School in Darlington, Co Durham, which caters for children aged five to 19 with a range of special needs.

Dela Smith: Extra special head

With another local school, Abbey Hill, it formed one of the first successful special schools bids to achieve technology college status, and it helps other mainstream schools in the area to include pupils with special educational needs.

"I'm still reeling," the head said of her award. "I feel absolutely stunned, and very humbled as well because it's such a tremendous honour."

She plans a big party.

"Everyone will be invited because this is about everybody - nobody can do anything without the support of colleagues and I've got some special colleagues," she said.

She has taught special needs pupils throughout her career - her enthusiasm kindled when she looked at remedial education when studying for her education degree. She is also on the national advisory group on special educational needs.

"It's stimulating work, it's so diverse," she said. "There is so much happening that every day is different, every child is an individual."

In all, education accounts for about a tenth of the birthday honours. Ten people - mostly head teachers and college principals - are made CBEs, and there are numerous OBEs and MBEs.

The National Day Nurseries Association has been singing the praises of its chief executive, Rosemary Murphy, who gets an OBE for her work in early years education.

The association's chair, Sarah Carr, said: "This is really wonderful news that Rosemary's hard work on behalf of the association has been rewarded in this way. This takes the NDNA into another sphere."

KNIGHTS BACHELOR

Professor George Sayers Bain. Vice Chancellor, The Queen's University of Belfast. For
services to higher education and to the Low Pay Commission. (Belfast)

Professor Donald Neil MacCormick, MEP, QC. Regius Professor of Public Law, University of
Edinburgh. For services to Scholarship in Law. (Edinburgh)

Mrs Rosemary Murphy. Chief executive, National Day Nurseries Association. For services to
Early Years Education. (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire)

William Brian Parker. Principal Community Education Officer, Coventry, West Midlands. For
services to Education. (Coventry, West Midlands)

Professor Christine Pascal. Chair, Early Childhood Education, Centre for Research in Early
Childhood, University College Worcester. For services to Early Years Education. (Nr
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire)